Bakewell Livestock Market… the sheep were crowded in their pens. To the layman (me) they were a mass of white, brown, black, or mottled animals. Apart from that, all simply sheepish. Wool, legs, faces and beautiful eyes.
Someone had been at work, though; marking the sheep in different colours denoting their owners. This small group all bore a crimson splodge. They were known, accounted for, and valuable.
Jesus described Himself as the Good Shepherd, and said this about those He loves and values:
“My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.…”
John 10 v27-28
Our lives can be as confusing as the market must be to the sheep. Remembering that we are called, chosen, and redeemed by Jesus helps us to know we are of great worth. Ewe and me (Sorry, couldn’t resist) belong to the One who was willing to go after the lost, the scattered, the daft and the dozy. And we too are marked- the blood of Jesus is the sign of our salvation and forgiveness.
In Exodus 12, as the Israelites were preparing to leave Egypt and slavery, they were instructed to sacrifice a lamb and mark the doorposts and lintel with its blood. When the last of the judgements of God brought grief and death to the Egyptians, the “Angel of Death” passed over the homes marked with blood. This graphically powerful Plague broke the resistance of Pharoah; and is re-enacted every year by the Jewish people as “Passover.”
Our Christian New Testament also uses the symbolism of sacrifice, blood, and covenant in our Holy Communion/Eucharist; the blood shed on the Cross of Christ allows our forgiveness and freedom from the power of Death. Christ died in our place; and we acknowledge that when we share in the Bread & Wine of the communion.
The study and explanation of all this is far beyond the scope of a brief reflection… but just as the sheep in the market lived without understanding everything going on round them, we can relax into an attitude of trusting faith. God always does what He says He will do- and He says we are accepted, loved, and of immense worth.
So listen for the Voice of the Good Shepherd- and follow as best as you know how.
The Reflectionary 
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